Second Battle of Fair Oaks
Historical highway marker PA-50 · Henrico County
Lt. Gen. Ulysses Grant ordered an assault here on 27 Oct. 1864 to divert Confederate attention from a Union attack near Petersburg. Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler, Union commander outside Richmond, aspired to outflank the Confederates and capture their capital. The Federal X Corps initiated the attack along Darbytown Road, while the XVIII Corps, delayed by miscommunication, joined in later along Williamsburg Road. Union troops also advanced along Nine Mile Road. Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet strengthened his left flank, forcing the Federals to withdraw on 28 Oct. The Union army suffered about 1,600 casualties and the Confederates about 100.
Department of Historic Resources, 2015